Santa delivered a couple of days early.
I’m very excited about tonight’s six point victory over Oregon, as I’m sure everyone in Grizzlyland is. I’ll save all the links and numbers for another time. Right now is time to celebrate what is arguably the biggest win in the program’s history.
Go Grizzlies!
During this lull in the OU basketball schedule, I’d like to take an opportunity and talk some Golden Grizzlies baseball.
Baseball in December? Yep. As college baseball’s season begins in February, the pre-season hype commences about this time of the year. As such, I figure this is a good a time as any to start posting about it.
Oakland has a number of returning players that will vie for all-conference honors. SS Andrew Stafford (.344/3/40/11 SB), OF Justin Wilson (.350/4/30/12) and OF Dan Ryan (.325/3/25) all had outstanding season in 2007 and more is expected of each of them in ‘08.
The Grizzlies offense could be the best in the conference. Yes, that’s part homer talk out of me, but OU could swing the bats last year and I would expect more of the same this coming season.
The old axiom in baseball is that you’ll go as far as your pitching carries you and that will most likely be the case for the 2008 Grizzlies. Matt Trausch and Mike Takashima will anchor a veteran rotation. The Grizzlies will also look to both freshmen and transfer arms to bolster their staff.
One freshman of note is Jeff Gorecki. The Orchard Lake St. Mary’s product was one of the top Michigan HS players a year ago and now looks to have the same success in college.
First year head coach John Musachio might have just enough of the right pieces to find Oakland battling for the conference crown. Just like in hoops, if OU can find a way to capture the conference tournament title, a NCAA berth comes along.
While all of us are optimistic about OU’s basketball future, the baseball program does appear to be on the verge of following suit.
Here are some links to OU baseball that you might find interesting.
* The annual First Pitch Dinner is being held January 26, 2008.
* Coach Musachio and his staff have been on the recruiting trail, as well.
* A student at Michigan (and blogging ally, Samara) takes tons of photos at each UM game she can get to. Why is this important? Because OU plays Michigan every year. There are some very nice shots of Oakland players, as well. (Realize she’s a Wolverine and comments are sort of partisan.)
* Finally, the Grizzlies 2008 schedule is out. It’s a bit nasty with notable field trips to Kentucky (I’m guessing they’ll be in the hunt for the SEC title) and Tulane (a college baseball power) plus the usual visits to places like Michigan (which should be in the top 10) and Michigan State (my early underdog choice in the Big Ten). CMU and WMU might win the MAC and Oral Roberts is good in baseball, too.
This game was essentially over at halftime. OU missed ample opportunities to keep this one close going into the break and the second half was merely a formality.
The high flying offense Coach Kampe has employed appeared to be just the tonic a struggle Michigan side required. The Maize and Blue looked bigger, stronger and simply like a much better basketball team. OU’s up-tempo game seemed to suit them just fine, thank you.
Perhaps, even Coach Kampe has finally seen enough of his up-tempo offense.
After getting drilled by the Wolverines, Oakland’s head coach was quoted in Paula Pasche’s recap in The Oakland Press as saying:
“So we wanted to get the game at a breakneck speed and breakneck tempo … It was a very poor choice on my part obviously.”
Kampe is showing the first signs of conceding to a point I made quite a while back – running an up-tempo offense, more often than not, leads to poor defense. Oakland is proving to be no exception to that rule.
Michigan did two things I believe Oakland simply doesn’t do well or at all. First, the Wolverines could pass the rock. They hit the open man in transition and, as nearly every OU opponent has this year, they made wonderful interior passes.
Second, and just as importantly, Michigan finished those plays. Multiple players hit threes. The interior plays were completed with lay-ups and dunks.
I find OU’s lacking in both categories. They neither pass or finish well. Collectively, and this strikes me as odd, as they seem athletic enough, is that everything they do seems to be just a step off or behind.
The questions in Grizzlyland must now be, with a week off until the Rochester College game, will Kampe toss aside the Showtime Grizzlies and install a half court offense? Will such a move bring about a better defensive result?
I’m not sure that making a radical change in December is the best plan, but I’m not confident that holding on to a failed scheme is a good idea, either. Either way, this is certainly not where any of us had hoped the Grizzlies would be so close to the Oregon game.
Onto the rest of the post-game silliness:
* The OP’s Dave Pemberton discusses OU’s style of play. The definitive quote for me was Coach Kampe’s “We play too fast.”
* Alas, I did attend this one. The company was good. The result was probably the worst case scenario.
* It was my first visit to Crisler and I do see why people think it’s outdated. Honestly, if OU could fill the building, the O’Rena would have a better atmosphere.
* What’s worse: OU’s half-empty building or Michigan’s half-empty building?
* Big props to the Grizz Gang in section 57. The small, but vocal group stood for the entire game and did make their presence felt from time-to-time. Nice work.
* Oakland’s still wearing the Nike test uniforms. I’m hoping the test ends after this semester.
* Michigan’s Manny Harris was the best player on the floor. 24 points, eight boards and just plain better than everyone.
* My friend secured tickets to last night’s affair a few weeks back. We sat six rows from the floor. They were very good seats. (Michigan’s head baseball coach Rich Maloney sat just a few rows in front of us.) How can I land better seats at Michigan than I do at OU?
* My weekly note to the OU merchandise people. I would have worn an Oakland sweatshirt had you provided me with a decent option. Don’t even get me started on the cap.
* Did you note the amount of press this game got? More importantly did you notice how much of it focused on the Grizzlies?
* I’m thinking the Wolverines took all that to heart.
* Derick Nelson was great in the second half. Nelson finished with 31. Erik Kangas had 24.
* Deshawn Sims had 22 for Michigan. Ron Coleman added 13.
I’m still disgusted at the SUU loss. To make matters even worse, there’s a hint that OU overlooked the Thunderbirds. Check out the Detroit News story.
Can we blame Caputo for this? Oakland Press columnist Pat Caputo said all kinds of glowing things about the Golden Grizzlies program a few days ago. Since his article came out, OU has a come-from-ahead overtime win versus UMKC (where they coughed up a 23 point lead) and this stinking loss to Southern Utah.
It has to be Caputo’s fault. We all know the media is to blame for everything.
The next game is against Michigan. I would expect a much better performance from OU in that one. It would almost have to be. I’m supposed to be in attendance, so don’t be too surprised if I don’t post anything until the next evening.
It’s 33 -32, SUU at the half. Yes, it’s fair to ask where OU’s up-tempo offense is.
It’s now 39 – 37, Oakland. I’m semi-live blogging while listening online to WXOU.
The Thunderbirds are now up, 40 – 39. One blogger is not happy.
72 – 63 and SUU grabs another rebound.
Timeout with the score tied at 46 each. 13 minutes left to play.
50 – 46, for SUU. Uh, the T-Birds are 1 – 7. Hello, Grizzlies.
Any sign of OU’s big men?
55 – 53, Golden Grizzlies. It’s all Derick Nelson and Erik Kangas tonight.
62 – 57, SUU. Time to panic.
The boys on ‘XOU make a good point. If OU is bigger than SUU, why not just pound the ball into the post? Oh, that’s right. The Grizzlies play up-tempo offense, not half-court. (Losing brings about sarcasm.)
T-Birds now up seven points. This would be a terrible loss. Play some defense, Grizzlies. Grab a rebound, as well.
Only six and a half minutes left. Still SUU dominating the boards.
Now, it’s an eleven point lead.
70 – 61, T-Birds. Kangas is about to shoot free throws. No sign of the Grizzlies up-tempo offense or anyone able to rebound for OU.
4:30 left, the Grizzlies trail by seven.
Oakland cannot play half-court offense tonight. They are standing around waiting for three point shots.
2:47 left with SUU up 70 – 63.
72 – 63, T-Birds. The fans are leaving. Shane Lawal fouls out.
75- 63, SUU.
75 – 68, Southern Utah is going to the line.
77 – 68, JJ turns the ball over and fouls the T-Birds’ player.
79 – 68, it’s all but over. Awful. Just awful.
80 – 73 with thirty seconds left.
8.5 seconds remain. It’s still 80 – 73.
Clock problems have delayed in the inevitable.
82 – 73, Southern Utah beats Oakland. A shameful performance on your home floor. Disappointment and disgust now, perhaps links to recaps later.
As I was trying to get some kind of recap out last night before I went to bed, I did leave a few items out. Here are a some other things I’d like to mention.
* Correction from my recap: OU led by as many as 23 not 21, if the newspaper today was correct. (Which, frankly, I’m not all that confident about. No two reports list the same stats. It’s shameful coverage. What are they, bloggers?) Knowing the Grizzlies blew an even larger lead doesn’t make it any better, does it?
* I’m not sure, but I may have sat in the same seat I did for the EMU game. What are the odds of that?
* I liked the pre-game video of Coach Kampe giving a pep talk to the Grizz mascot. The chest bump between the two of them was a nice touch. Kudos to Coack Kampe for playing along and those who came up with the idea.
* What’s up with the concession stand selling OU apparel? A smattering of caps and did anything say “Oakland Basketball”? Is it that difficult to stock a basic sweatshirt from Nike, Reebok or supplier du jour with OU Basketball on it? And why can’t I buy a cap similar to what the baseball Grizzlies wear?
A basic interlocking OU (without the Grizz – not that I object to the logo) on a black cap should be a staple item. Every other university appears to stock such an item why doesn’t Oakland?
Needless to say, but I’ll say it anyway, it’s been a disappointing selection thus far. Do I really have to make a trip out to the bookstore during the day to browse their selection of merchandise? (If this is what The Grizz store carried, I can guess why it’s gone.)
* The ugly uniform tops continue to be worn. Please retire these already.
* I thought the refs let the boys play, for the most part. Plenty of contact from both sides went uncalled. Did anyone else note that a number of UMKC players ended up down on the floor?
* Dane Brumagin is still hitting threes somewhere. Brian Gettinger can shoot the ball, too. It appears the ‘Roos live by the three and die by the three.
* UMKC might be pretty good next year. Only two seniors on the roster. Brumagin and Gettinger are juniors and Reggie Hamilton, who also had a nice game, is a freshman.
* OU will finish the year at UMKC. Hopefully, Brumagin and Gettinger will be tired of shooting by then.
* Remember when I cautioned everyone about the downside of playing an up-tempo offense? It’s starting to look like Oakland is going to live up to my theory that that run-and-gun offense almost always leads to poor defense.
* I love OU’s shot blocking. Who doesn’t? It’s loads of fun. I suspect the Golden Grizzlies could finish the season in the top ten in the nation in rejections, but when all your low post defenders think about is sending the ball back from whence it came, you get players out of position.
This has led the Grizzlies to give up far too many offensive rebounds, commit ticky-tack fouls (after buying pump fakes and landing on the opposition or hitting arms as opposed to basketballs) and not playing solid defense, in general. I don’t want to say I told you so, but …..
* Another thing I don’t like about up-tempo ball is that frenetic play often leads to equally frenetic decision making. It leads to stretches of painfully horrible hoops. OU is not immune.
* What are the odds of the guy participating in the halftime shooting contest to be wearing a UMKC shirt? Yes, I know. Better than the odds of it happening when Southern Utah is at the O’Rena.
* Keith Benson was terrific Thursday. A double – double. Blocked a few shots, too. I thought OU was at it’s best when Benson, Shane Lawal, Derick Nelson, Erik Kangas and Johnathon Jones were on the floor.
* Tim Williams also looked very good vs. the Kangaroos. (Love that nickname, by the way.) Williams is just a smooth offensive player.
* I know prior to last night, a number of people thought OU could beat Michigan next Wednesday. I still think they can, but can they defend the three well enough? Can the bigs stay out of foul trouble?
* The OU administration can rest easy. I probably won’t be at the SUU game Saturday. I can’t come back afterwards and complain here about the pizza, or anything else, if I stay home. Of course, there’s always radio coverage to harp on.
* Good to see Kangas get back into the starting lineup and, more importantly, back into the flow of the offense. His jumper looked much better and he didn’t seem to pay quite as much attention to his shoulder. All good signs.
It’s late and I’ve tried writing a recap three different times and tossed all three versions. Here’s the short version: Oakland played rather well and got out to a 21 point lead before UMKC came storming back to tie the game at 95 – 95 and force overtime.
In the OT, the Golden Grizzlies got clutch free throw shooting from Derick Nelson and Jonathon Jones to help secure the first conference win of the year.
The final results might have been different had UMKC’s Dane Brumagin not fouled out just seconds before regulation ended. Brumagin did his best Larry Bird impression and hit countless three point shots (actually, seven in total) and finished the game with 40 points. He was unbelievable.
(Note to the rest of the Summit League: Brumagin can shoot and has better hops than you think. In fact, the entire UMKC side can shoot the rock.)
OU got plenty of strong offensive performances, as you might expect posting 114 points. Nelson (a career best 31 points), Erik Kangas (22), Tim Williams (17), Keith Benson (17 with 13 boards) and Jones (13 and 13 assists) were all good.
OU had one really good half, one not so good half and a better than average OT. They also ran into an incredibly hot shooter. I doubt they will see anybody that on fire the rest of the year, especially from beyond the arc.
There was plenty to like — the big lead, the shot blocking, the even offensive distribution — and more than enough — like coughing up a 21 point lead at home — to give Coach Kampe to yell about in practice. (Might I suggest practicing against a zone defense?)
Anyway, that’s all for tonight. I went to the game and really need to get some sleep. Southern Utah visits The O on Saturday. Go Grizzlies!
Here’s the recapcourtesy of CBS Sportsline.
That was one ugly game. Yes, OU beat BG (or BGSU, if you please) by ten, 90 – 80. Yes, the losing streak came to an end. However, outside of Johnathon Jones’ career best 31 point effort and the final score, I really didn’t like much at all about this game.
The first half, in particular, was brutal. There was no flow to the game at all. The up-tempo offense the Grizzlies are supposed to be playing was still in the lockeroom. It was a half filled with missed open looks, horrible, horrible decision making, fouls-a-plenty and just generally lousy basketball.
The final stanza was better, if for no other reason than the game ended with OU scoring more points, but some of the problems persisted all game long.
The Falcons’ ability to pass the ball on the interior with such ease was almost shocking. At times, it looked like BG was running a passing drill in the paint. How can you make that many uncontested passes in such a small space?
And dribble penetration? Please. The Falcons just walked right past OU defenders. Needless to say, BG had plenty of lay-ups and very, very short jumpers.
That didn’t stop until about midway through the last half when Coach Kampe employed a zone defense which led to a few easy baskets via BG turnovers.
I also think it’s fairly obvious that whatever is wrong with Erik Kangas isn’t corrected. He may be able to play, but it’s still bothering him (3 of 11 from the floor in 23 minutes).
I can’t help it, but OU won, scored 90 and I still think it was a disappointing performance. The good news is, of course, that in spite of a disappointing performance, the Golden Grizzlies won. There isn’t a separate column for disappointing wins, just wins and losses and the Grizzlies needed a “W” badly.
On the bright side, Jones gets all the love for his career best scoring night. He hit threes, drove past the Falcons defenders for lay-ups, hit free throws and, basically, carried the team on his back. Very Isiah Thomas-like.
Certainly the better free throw percentage (28 -33 for 84.8%) was a positive. The Grizzlies finally made some freebies and it helped.
Finally, the zone defense that finally cracked the game open for OU. It took a while, but the zone finally slowed down BG’s interior game, forced turnovers, created odd-man advantages and free throw opportunities.
Other observations:
* Derick Nelson had another double – double (11 points, 11 boards), but continues his recent struggle from the field. He hit only one of eight from the floor.
* I like Mario Impemba and Rick Mahorn, who provided the commentary for Fox Sports Detroit, but let’s just say we didn’t watch the same game.
* Was that a basketball broadcast or a recruiting film? Hey, don’t get me wrong, if it lands a few more players, I’m in. (Although, I’m worried if any prospects watched this game it might count as an in-home visit.)
* My favorite t-shirt in the crowd: Who’s Your Grizzly?
* The “JJ is Dyn-O-Mite” t-shirts can’t be far off. You can’t get more 70’s retro than that, can you?
* Did OU start the smack talk or did BG? If it was the Grizzlies, why on Earth is a 2-4 (now 3-4) team talking smack? Seriously, how can you talk after the Duquesne and Xavier games?
* BG’s Chris Knight (11-16 for 23 pts.) and Nate Miller (7-13 for 21 pts.) ate OU up.
* I didn’t realize that Louis Orr was Bowling Green’s head coach. I remember the Louis (Orr) and (Roosevelt) Bowie Show when the coach was a star player at Syracuse. Oh, how old both Coach Orr and I have gotten.
* The official Oakland recap is here.
Conference play begins Thursday night when the Kangaroos of UMKC arrive at The O’Rena. I believe we’ve got a 7pm jump. Hopefully, a few days off and some more practice and the Grizzlies will be sharp by late next week. Go Grizzlies!
Uh-Oh
December 22, 2007It’s official. You can pencil me in as concerned. After Oakland’s less-than-impressive 67-53 win over Rochester College, I’m left with only three conclusions about this Grizzlies team.
1) They can’t play run-and-gun. For evidence, I refer you to the games against Duquesne, Xavier, UMKC, Southern Utah and Michigan.
2) The Grizzlies apparently can’t play half-court offense very well, either, as they let a non-DI program hang with them in the O’Rena. See the aforementioned Rochester College sleeper.
3) Oakland can’t play much defense regardless of what offense they choose to run. Pick almost any game.
Harsh? Yeah, it is. But, seriously, what other conclusions can we come to?
I know it’s probably totally unfair to say that the Grizzlies can’t play slow-it-down hoops based on one game. However, that one game was against Rochester College. I don’t care if Coach Kampe installed a shotgun offense twenty minutes prior to the tip, OU is much, much better than the lads from the RC.
Letting RC hang around, and a 14 point win is hanging around, in your own barn is simply a poor performance. They should have dominated every single facet of the game and the score should have reflected that.
How in the world can I expect Oakland to beat Oregon or Toledo, for that matter, with a half court offense if they struggle to polish off a vastly inferior Rochester College side?
If they opt to give up on the half court offense in favor of a return to up-tempo ball, aren’t we looking at another Michigan-like result versus the Ducks? (Wouldn’t that help recruiting?)
You do see why I’m concerned not only about tomorrow night’s game, but about the rest of the season. The Grizzlies just seem lost. I’m so disillusioned, I’ve even begun the search for my “Wait Until Next Year” button. I haven’t found it yet, but I’m reserving the right to push it at any moment after conference play resumes.
I’m going to try and regain some hope prior to the Oregon game based on two simple thoughts. First, anything is possible. Second, I still believe this team has talent, even if it’s void of chemistry.
I’ll state the obvious — a win tomorrow night would be huge. It would increase the program’s visibility (and with the game on an ESPN network, you have to think they will run highlights often), earn OU some credibility, help recruiting and, perhaps, most importantly, it would give the team something positive to build off of.
One win, even one honkin’ big win, might not give this team an identity, but it sure would help confidence in Grizzlyland right about now. Go Grizzlies!
Posted in 07-08 Season, Commentary, Oakland University, college basketball | 1 Comment »